Ideology and Energy Efficiency Decisions

Ashutosh Jogelekar has penned an interesting article in Scientific American discussing how one's political position may affect energy efficiency purchases (the post is repeated by Rod Janssen in Energy in Demand). Broadly, he suggests that "liberals" will make EE investments based (at least partly) on an ideological stance whereas "conservatives" are more likely to be persuaded by economic arguments and, indeed, may actually be put off by environmental messaging. If the studies that produced these results are to be believed then there are lessons to be learned by the environmental lobby - beating the environmental drum - even if long-term economic rationality is on their side - may not be effective.